LAO Acknowledges Potential Benefits of Healthy Rivers and Landscapes Program

SACRAMENTO - The Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) on March 18 issued a report on the Bay-Delta Plan and Voluntary Agreements, also known as the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes (HRL) Program, that acknowledges the HRL Program's potential to benefit the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta watershed.

ACWA is a long-standing supporter of the HRL Program as the best approach to protecting, restoring and enhancing the Bay-Delta watershed. The LAO report takes a balanced approach in evaluating the HRL Program alongside the State Water Resource Control Board's pathway that would primarily rely on enforcing unimpaired flows.

In analyzing the benefits of the HRL Program, the report acknowledges that it has potential to balance multiple competing goals in restoring the Bay-Delta's health and native fishery, while also pointing out that many of the HRL Program's habitat restoration projects are already underway.

As the State Water Board approaches a final decision on the Bay-Delta Plan Update, expected by the end of this year, ACWA will continue engaging with its Bay-Delta Working Group. ACWA's advocacy will remain focused on supporting the HRL Program's inclusion in the updated plan and ensuring its successful implementation.

Member login is required to access a March 24 ACWA Advisory with more information and background.